How Therapy Works

Finding the right therapist is an important first step.

Psychotherapy is not easily described. It varies depending on the personalities of the psychologist and patient, and the particular problems you are experiencing. There are many different methods I may use to deal with the problems that you hope to address. Psychotherapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things we talk about both during our sessions and at home.

Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have many benefits. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress. But there are no guarantees of what you will experience. Our first few sessions will involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of the evaluation, I will be able to offer you some impressions of what our work will include and a treatment plan to follow, if you decide to continue with therapy. You should evaluate this information along with your own opinions of whether you feel comfortable working with me. Therapy involves a significant commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions about my procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, I will be happy to help you set up a meeting with another mental health professional for a second opinion.

Therapy may also include a recommendation for our work to be supported by other professionals such as psychiatrists to prescribe and monitor medications, testing psychologists to do educational and psychological evaluations, neuropsychologists to assess and assist in treating issues of brain function, educational consultants to assist in finding alternative educational options, and various professionals that assist in tutoring and coaching particularly with learning differences, attention deficits, executive functioning deficits and study skills.

I offer individual therapy to patients in Palo Alto and the surrounding area. To find out if I may be the right therapist for you, call me at (650) 321-6372 or email me at jeff@jeffmillerphd.com.

*** If you are having a psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Do not attempt to access emergency care through this website. ***